Egg-carrier.



No. 629,506. Patented July 25, I899. S. H. HOUGHTON.

EGG CARRIER.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1897.)

(No Model.)

muasses: R haw?" mm W iz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL ll. HOVGHTON, OF HARVARD, MASSACHUSETTS.

EGG-CARRIER.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,506, dated July 25,1899. Application filed November 15,1897. Serial No. 658,512. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. 110 UGHTON, of Harvard, county ofWorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inEgg-Carriers, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like let ters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object the improvement of egg-carriers of theclass illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 429,854, grantedto me under date of June 10, 1890. In perfecting this carrier myattention has been directed particularly to the arrangement of parts insuch a manner as to secure greater compactness of structure andconsequent reduction of weight and expense, perinittin g also morespeedy assemblage of parts.

Further improvements will be disclosed in the support of theegg-carrying loops, contributing increased resiliency and durability,while presenting the eggs in a position which permits them to be removedfrom the frames with greater facility than heretofore.

The various features of my invention will be fully illustrated anddescribed in the accompanying drawings and specification and set forthin the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view ofan egg-carrier in the construction whereof my improvements have beenembodied. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of one of the trays,taken on the line 00 m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of an end portionof one of the trays. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one of thebase-bars of a tray, partly in section and partly broken away; and Fig.5 is a detail of the preferred form of reinforcing means for thecatclrseat.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention selected for description andillus' trated in the drawings a box-like structure A is shown,containing a number of superimposed egg-carrying frames or trays B, ofwhich two are shown in place in the instance illustrated, the generalrelation and function of the box and frames resembling that of corresponding parts in the egg-carrier disclosed in my patent abovementioned, but differing from the latter in certain features to be fullyset forth hereinafter.

An important improvement will be found l in the novel manner ofsupporting the egg carrying loops, which no longer are arrangedtransversely with respect to the clamping means by which they are heldin place upon 1 the bottom of the tray,but in parallelism therewith, andthey are provided with feet to enter l under the clamping means, thesefeet being offset from the plane in which the free portions of theloopsin anygiven row are formed, preferably a number of loops being bent upfrom a continuous piece of wire for the sake of cheapness inconstruction.

In my former construction the loops had their tops curved, respectively,out of the gen eral plane of the row for the purpose of embracing eachegg and holding it firmly; but this purpose I find can be served moreeffectually by bending each loop to present a polygon, having,preferably, five sides or regions with each of which the egg supportedcan contact, so that the egg is carried with the maximum of safety, andthe tops of the loops may be left in the general plane of the row.

The trays B may be formed in any manner which will afford a suitablesupport for the parallel rows of loops 0 and for the cleats, bars, orsimilar clamping members or means I), under which the feet 0 are held;but for the sake of lightness and cleanliness the bottom of the tray isformed,preferably, as a frame, the members I) whereof Ihave shown asseparated bars, the lower edges of which are beveled, preferably asshown, and present suitable upper surfaces, flat in the instanceillustrated, to receive the feet c of the rows of loops arranged inparallelism thereon. Upon the feet of the rows of loops the clampingmeans are placed. and fastened to the supporting members by any suitablemeans, as the clenched nails D which afford the necessary strength withoheapness, each nail being driven, preferably, between the overlappingfeet-loops (see Fig. 4) formed by the connected ad jacent feet 0',inwardly directed from the rows of carrier-loops supported on oppositesides of the bottom member and its cooperating clamping means, eachcompound member thus formed carrying usually and preferably two rows ofloops, the rows on opposite sides receiving, respectively, adjacentsurfaces of different rows of eggs.

It will be noted that by forming the carrier-loops with offset feet tobe clamped between the bottom member and the cleat, with thecarrier-loops extended upward in a plane parallel with the compound bar,I have obviated the necessity for notching the bars to maintain theloops in upright position, so that the loops in my improved constructionbeing free from their very base are not subject to the diminution ofresiliency, which resulted in the old construction from constant bendingacross the sharp walls of the notches. To provide further for thisfreedom of the loops and to permit insertion of the eggs to a greaterdepth between the bars, the upper edges of the clamping members I) maybe and preferably are beveled, and the advantage of such a constructionwill be readily appreciated after examination of Fig. 2, in which theegg E is held by the loops 0 out of possibility of contact with theclamping means 1), yet Well down between the individual members. Theprovision of such a bevel is novel so far as I am aware, and inastandard-carrier usually having a stack of five trays double the lengthof those illustrated the saving in height, and consequently in materialneeded and space occupied, is very considerable.

As one convenient means for connecting the bottom bars orloop-supporting members I have illustrated strips connecting themembers, preferably at their ends, and at tached thereto by anyconvenient means, as the clenched nails 1)". Suitable means may also beprovided to separate the trays in the boxes, to support one over theother, and to enable the trays to be removed readily from the crate orbox, and for all these functions it will be noted that the simple riserssuffice, their attachment to the tray being readily accomplished in aconvenient and permanent manner by inserting the offset feet b into theframe members which preferably are pierced to form receiving-sockets, asat N, Fig. 1.

Before proceeding to describe the box or crate, which is illustrated asan example of the style of structure within which a number of trays oregg-carrying units may be assembled most conveniently for purposes oftransportation, I wish to call attention, with emphasis, to thecapability newly presented as the result of constructing the elements ofthe eg -carrying trays in parallelismviz., the opportunity yielded forremoval of the eggs a row at a time by inserting one or more fingers ofthe hands at each end. of the row, respectively, and approaching thehands carefully but rapidly. The fingers will travel freely along in theunobstructed space b between the adjacent bars, and the eggs will becollected between the palms of the hands, the operator having nodisaster to fear from obstruction of his fingers by transverse loops orbars.

In general construction the box A may be and preferably is of the formselected for illustration by reason of the satisfaction it has given inuse, transverse cleats a being used 'to brace the vertical end membersa, sides a and bottom a upon which latter I provide, preferably,cushions a of cork, to afford a resilient support to the trays.Additional transverse cleats a should be provided and when beveledinwardly and upwardly, as indicated at a will be found to serveconveniently as handles, since it is better to place no undue strainupon the top a,

which for ordinary purposes is held with all due firmness, preferablywith its cross members a seated closely upon the cleats a by means of anovel form of spring-catch constituting an important feature of myinvention. To afford a convenient support for this catch and one theposition whereof insures shelter from injury, I have in this instanceillustrated the vertical end pieces aas slightly separated at each end,the inner face only of that farthest from the observer appearing in thedrawings. To this face the catch is shown as attached loosely bysuitable means, in this instance a nail 0, about which the intermediateportion or shank of the catch is formed into a coil 6, one shank portion6 of the catch extendingdownwardly forsomelittle distance and beingsuitably secured from rotation, simply effected in the instanceillustrated by driving an offset portion a into the end piece a. Abovethe coil another portion 6 extends freely and is given a contoursuitable for engagement with a cooperating portion of the top. For thispurpose a hole or recess a will be found one simple and effectiveexpedient, presenting as a seat its lower surface, against which pressesthe offset 6 downwardly when it is formed, as I prefer to have it, witha decided downward cant relatively to its bend e from the upper shankportion 6. The end 6 may be bent backwardly out of the way of the fingeror thumb of the operator, for the insertion of which thumb, &c., thehole a leaves opportunity in the construction shown, though other meansmay be utilized, I'having adopted this for the sake of convenience andto avoid the necessity for any top apertures. A reinforcingwire or itsequivalent may be found desirable to protect the seat, and one form ofthis I have shown at a as a staple (see Fig. 5) driven into the innerface of the cross-piece a just below the hole a the bridge portion ofthe staple receiving the catch.

Having described my invention thus fully, it will be understood thatchange from the details of construction illustrated may be made in manydirections without departing from the spirit of my invention, andaccordingly I do not limit myself to such details.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to securebyLetters Patent, is

ICO

their bases by integral offsets from said plane, 1

forming feet the limbs of each loop being separated from each other; andan elongated cleat or clamping member; said egg-carrying member beingarranged in parallelism with said support and clamping member, havingits feet clamped therebetween and its loops extended therefrom.

3. In an eg -carrier, a plurality of horizontally-divided egg-supportingmembers; opposing series of resilient egg-carrying loops formed from acontinuous piece of wire and having feet or ofisets to enter between theparts of said members, the latter having their adjacent upper edgesbeveled, and said eggcarrying loops being free to flex from their verybases.

4. A compound eggsupporting member, comprising a bar or support; aplurality of series of egg-carrying loops, each series being formed withoffset or feet loops seated on said support; the egg-carrying loops ofsaid respective series being presented on opposite sides of said bar, acleat or elongated clamping member extended along said support over saidfeet-loops; and means to fasten said cleat i l l to said support, Withsaid feet-loops secured therebetween.

5. A compound egg-supporting member, comprising a bar or support; aplurality of series of egg-carrying loops, each series being formed withoffset or feet loops seated on said support; the egg-carrying loops ofsaid respective series being presented on opposite sides of said bar; acleat or elongated clamping member extended along said support over saidfeet-loops; and means to fasten said cleat to said support, with saidfeet-loops secured therebetween, said fastening means and the respectiveseries of feet-loops being arranged to interlock.

6. An egg-carrier comprising parallel eggcarrying members includingseries of continuous integrally-formed egg-carrying loops; transverseend members connecting said eg carrying members and having horizontalsockets; and risers, one for each of said end members, said risersconsisting respectively of an integral piece of wire bent to present ahorizontal body extended in parallelism with its end member, legsintermediate said body and end member, and feet to enter said socketsand fasten said riser to said end member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL ll. HOUGHTON.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN L. KENNISON, GEORGE J. BURNS.

